[Elecraft] [OT] NEC wire size requirements

[Lewis Phelps]

Depends on the conduit size. Half inch conduit can only carry two #6 wires per NEC, but 3/4” conduit is OK for four #6 wires.

But we weren’t talking here about pulling wire out of an existing conduit, I don’t think.. This was described as a new installation by a code-savvy op, who no doubt is using properly sized conduit..

Lew N6LEW

> On Aug 11, 2016, at 12:39 PM, Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT <KX3 at ColdRocksHotBrooms.com> wrote:
> 
> On 8/11/2016 12:03 PM, Lewis Phelps wrote:
>> So, why go to the extra expense of #6 wire? While it seems to me to be to be harmless to “over-spec” the wire size, it also seems expensive and not necessary either per requirements of Section of 310-15 of the NEC or from a “good operating practices” perspective. 
> IIRC, there is discussion in the NEC about the total cross section of wires in conduit.  Pulling #10 from existing conduit and replacing it with #6 could in fact be a code violation?
> 
> -- Lynn

Lew Phelps N6LEW
Pasadena, CA DM04wd
Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432
Yaesu FT-7800 
Lew at N6LEW.US
www.n6lew.us

Generalized Law of Entropy: Sooner or later, everything that has been put together will fall apart.